Addiction describes a biological process whereby a substance is introduced into a person’s body regularly until the person feels dependent upon that substance. Marijuana is a drug which most people use initially in what they describe as a recreational manner. In other words, many people begin using marijuana to unwind at the end of the day or to help them relax when they are facing stressful situations.

Read More

For years, we’ve known that an overabundance of alcohol is harmful for the mind and for the body. The potential damage is something that scientists continue to study to gain a better understanding of the relationship between cerebellar activity and the frontal lobe. As our knowledge improves, so can our approach to addiction treatment and drug rehab.

Read More

Posttraumatic stress syndrome and substance abuse disorders are among the hardest mental disorders to treat. People with posttraumatic stress disorders often spend years in psychotherapy without making significant progress in alleviating their symptoms, which can be debilitating enough to affect their everyday lives. Those with substance abuse disorders can go through expensive residential addiction treatments, and then relapse into their old lifestyles.

Read More

September is Recovery Month and for many recovering addicts, new Web-based support groups will help them have a greater chance of maintaining abstinence. The recent study conducted by Hazelden announced a new Web access program that is tailored to fit the needs and provide clinical information, as well as support, to patients over an 18-month period after their release from drug rehab.

An article in Market Watch tells how patients have access to addiction coaches to aid in their recovery and that those who fully engaged in the Web-based program throughout the year after their addiction treatment were much more successful in abstaining from alcohol and drugs than those who did not complete the program.

The preliminary findings of this study show that support programs like these on the Web can make a big difference for those in early recovery. Addiction is a chronic disease and just like those with diabetes or heart disease, addiction must be managed, monitored and continually treated throughout a person’s lifetime.

There is still much to learn about addiction treatment and recovery but this study demonstrates the need for more disease management tools and also more creative services. Hazelden conducted this study through their research arm.

The death of 27-year-old singer Amy Winehouse has spawned renewed discussions about drug and alcohol treatments. Ms. Winehouse does not appear to have died of an overdose, but her well-known struggle with addiction led most to make that assumption immediately following her tragic death. Ms Winehouse was receiving outpatient addiction therapy at the time she died.

Even though substance abuse became the center of a whirlwind of conversations across the globe, remarkably few people actually understand the nuances of treating substance abuse. One example: A recent survey reveals that 70 percent of Americans do not know the difference between drug detox and drug rehab.

What Is Drug Detox?

Addictions are more than habitual behaviors. In many cases, they are psychologically motivated behaviors that wind up producing physical dependencies. Before a person can address the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction, the physical dependency needs to be broken. That is the purpose of a drug detox program.

Whether involved in alcohol or drug abuse, the addict’s brain has been changed chemically and must be relieved of the poisons first and foremost. Stopping use of a drug cold-turkey can wreak havoc on the body, as some withdrawal symptoms can be potential health dangers in and of themselves. For this reason, detox facilities provide a safe and controlled environment while the drug is removed from a persons’ system. Detox should occur on an inpatient basis where quality medical care can be administered throughout the withdrawal process.

What Happens During Drug Rehab?

Following detox, the mental and emotional health of the addict needs to be addressed. Detox removed the problem substance; rehab seeks to refill the person with the appropriate habits and skills that will restore them to good health and a happy life. Drug rehab offers a variety of treatments, lasting anywhere from weeks to months, based on the treatment philosophy of the facility.

Once the person has undergone drug detox, they will need to commit themselves to the process of drug rehab. A number of treatments may be employed to address the various emotional and behavioral needs. Above all, the patient will need to take a long and honest look at themselves and their substance abuse and truly understand the scope of their problem. This is key since every drug abuser confronts some form of denial. Rehab is the opportunity to look unblinkingly at the things the person has been trying so hard to avoid.

Addiction treatments may include individual therapy, often using cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy teaches people to recognize the link between their thinking and their behavior. Dysfunctional thinking leads to inappropriate behavior. Conversely, when the patient learns to think more correctly about themselves and their circumstances, more appropriate behaviors usually follow. Besides individual therapy, group counseling sessions, support groups, family therapy and even spiritual practices may be used to help the person form new habits.

It is estimated that roughly twenty-five million Americans over age of twelve need treatment for drug addiction or alcoholism. Sadly, fewer than 20% of those who need treatment actually receive it. As a society, we must focus on increasing the availability of effective treatment, especially in lower socio-economic classes. This involves increase the number of drug rehab programs covered under insurance policies, eliminating the stigma associated with drug addiction, and educating people about the value of treatment. When a health care professional suspects that a patient has become addicted to drugs, he must screen the patient for addiction, use brief intervention techniques, and refer out to treatment professionals when appropriate.

Read More

Opioids, and painkillers in particular, are widely abused in the United States. Some drugs, like heroin, are illicit substances that have been outlawed and can only be obtained on the black market via drug dealers. Others, like OxyContin, are available via doctor’s prescription and, up until very recently, used to be available at the corner pharmacy (OxyContin robberies have reduced the number of US pharmacies willing to stock the drug).

Read More

A new government study shows that more people are getting treatment for prescription drug abuse than they were ten years ago, and alcohol treatment is increasing after declining for several years.

Read More